Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellmark
if they worked together to do so, then yes.
|
Correct.
Competition is legally deemed good and collusion and conspiracy, concerted action to benefit a group of companies to the detriment of consumers and/or other competitors is legally deemed bad. Some of the laws and precedents go back a century and more.
Note that the suits in question are civil suits; the various state AGs and the feds have yet to act on the criminal front. Among the many dangers facing the pricefixers is that the civil discovery process could uncover evidence that greases action on the criminal front, where penalties could theoretically get very personal. If the term RICO comes into play things could get very interesting very fast.
But so far all that is at risk is shareholder value so the pricefixers aee not personally liable.
Yet.